Knitting-machine needle.



L. N. n. WILLIAMS. KNITTING MACHINE NEEDLE. APPLIOATION FILED JUN.I. 15,1913

. 1,120,989. Patented Dec.15,1914.

1m) en ior Loms N. D. WW1 urns Ill) LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS, 9F OGONTZ, EENNSYLV KNITTING-MACHINE NEEDLE.

incense.

Specification of Letters t'atent.

Patented Bee. 35.5

Application filed; June 19.1913. eerial No. 774,594.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS N..D. id in- LIAMS, a citizen of the United States, resul 'in in O ontz Penns lvania have invented 9 9 certain improvements Needles, of which the cation.

The object of my invention is to provide means for cutting the stitch upon a knitting machine latch needle so as to release the needle. from the stitch without casting the latter over the hooked end of the needle and therefore without (losing the latclnthe latter being left open so that the new yarn can be readilv applied to the hook of the needle at a succeeding yarn feed. thus overcoming the necessity of employing special means for in in Knitting-lllachine following is a specifisuring the opening of the latches at a point between the stitch casting and yarn feeding points as in ordinary machines of the latch needle type. i

In the accompanying drawing Figures 1. and 2 are side elevations, on an enlarged scale, of a knitting machine latch needle constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 1 showing the needle in knitting position and Fig. 2 in position to cut the stitch; Figs. 3 to i). inclusive. are side elevations showing other combinations of needle and knife or knives in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 10 is a l'iorizontal sec tion, on an enlarged scale, on the line ao. Fig. l. y

In the drawing. 1 represents the stem of the needle, 2 the hooked up cr end of the same. and 3 the swinging latch, all of which are similar to those of latch needles as now constructed. Combined with the stern oi the needle, however, is a knife, that shown in connectioi'i with the needle of Figs. 1 and :2 being indicated at l, and being, as there shown, triangular in shape and sharpened on its upper inclined face. This knife is so located on the stem oi the needle that during the ordinary reciprocations of the needle re quired by the knitting operation it will not approach the top of the needle carrier'and hence will have no action upon the stitch lying upon the needle, this condition being that represented in Fig. 1. When, however. the knitting of the web has been completed and it is desired to free it from the needles a high lift imparted to each needle so that its knife will. act lllflI-ll and sever the stitch last lurmed on the needle,

' if desired. he

as shown in Fig. I

2, thereby releasing the knitted web fro n the needles.

When, .in the operation of an latch needle knitting machine, the stitch clears the latch on the riseof the needle the closing; of said latch is prevented by the usual latch guard of the machine but in casting; oil the stitches over the hcoked ends of the needles. in the ordinary way, the latch is closed against the hook by the escaping ordinary stitch and is likely to remain in a closed or partly closed pos. ion, and must he opened before the new yarn can be laid in the hook, hence a necessary part of the equipment of an ordinary latch needle knitting machine is a device for thus opening the latches after the casting off. of the stitches from the needles. llhen, however, the fabric is east oil in accordance with my invention, by

severing the stitches, the latches remain in their open position and special latch openers are rendered unnecessary. During the cutting operation the stitches on the needles are preferably held by engagement with the usual web holder as shown in Fig. '2. in stead of being designed to cut the stitch upon an up stroke of the needle the knife may be designed to cut upon a downstrolse ot the same, as shown for instance at Fig. 3.

. in connection with the stitch-severing knile l find it advisable to use a hock which has a tendency to engage the out stitches and pull them free from the adiacent stitches of the web and thus leave a course of clean stitches at the edge of the web. The preferable method of accomplishing thfhs result is to use a hooked knife. as showrl'for in stance at at" in Fig. st or at l in Fig. 5, although if desired the hook may he independent of the. knife, as shown tor instance at (i in Fig. 6. or at T in Fig/i, the hook in the latter case being on the oi? the needle stem. and acting upon the cut stitch through the medium of or by sharpening the lower edge of 7 the latter may he ceding stitch. The knives and llOOkSdl'lkt), formed integral with the stem of the needle but the preferable plan is to provide each knife or hook with a shank 8 lilting within a slot cut in the stem of the needle and secured, therein h soldering. brazing, riveting. or thcr mail-able means.

While it neferahle l'tfwtllli'? he cutting the hook a preceding stitch,

caused to out said pre;

knife directly to the shank of the needle, this is not essential to the broader embodiment of my invention, as the knife may, if desired, be formed upon a stem independent of the needle stem such for instance as represented at 9 iii Fi 7, this stein having a butt which is cont-r0 led by a cam independent of that which controls the needle, whereby the knife-carrying stem may be actuated at those stages in the operation of the machine where it becomes necessary to free the needles from the stitches last formed upon them, or such independent knife may cooperate with a knife secured to the needle stem, as sliown for instance in Fig. 8, so as to act like a pair of shears.

The independent knife may, if desired, be located at the back of the needle stem so as to cut the stitch preceding that upon the needle, as shown for instance at 9 in Fig. 9, the knife 10 operating through a slot 11 in the top of the needle cylinder and the knife stem presenting a shoulder 12 for engagement with the inclined base 13 of said slot so that when the s tem9 is raised its upper or knife-carrying end will be thrown out- ;ward carrying the needle with it and thus serving to tighten the stitch which is to be severed.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide a loop-retaining hook with a knife which would sever the loop as the stem of the hook was raised through the same-and also that it has been proposed to provide a needle with a latch sharpened on the outer side so as to sever the loop as it slipped over the latch, but, in the latter case, the closing of the latch was necessary in order to effect the severing of the loop,whereas my invention has for its purpose the sever ing of the loop without closing the latch. In all cases, therefore, the knife which I employ in connection with the needle is situated below the pivot point of the latch.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine latch needle having combined therewith a knife for severin a stitch previously formed upon the needle, said knife operating below the pivot of the latch.

2. A knitting machine latch needle whose stem is provided with a knife for severing a stitch previously formed upon the needle, said knife being located below the pivot of the latch.

3. A knitting machine latch needle having a knife for severing a stitch previously formed upon the needle, said knife being separate from but secured to the stern of the needle at a point below the pivot of the latch.

4. A knitting machine latch needle combined with a knife for cutting a stitch previously formed upon the needle, and a hook for clearing said severed stitch from the web.

5. Aknitt'ing machine latch needle having a knife arried by the stem of the needle and 'ser ing to sever a stitch previously formed upon the needle, and a hook for clearing said severed stitch from the Web.

6. A knitting machine latch needle having combined therewith a hooked knife, for first severing a stitch previously formed upon the needle and then clearing said severed stitch from the web.

7. A knitting machinelatch needle having a hooked-knife carried by the stem of the needle and serving to sever a stitch previously formed on the needle,,and then to clear said severed stitch from the web.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing'witnesses.

' LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS Witnesses:

KATE A. BEADLE, HAMILTON D. TURNER. 

